Next morning, Xin and Rui Ming prepared their equipment and gathered at the rally point. There were several hundred people here, mostly internal disciples.
The sect had identified the best combat prospects by now, and drafted them, promising generous rewards and status. Many were upset about so few people being drafted. A pair of hands with a crossbow can still be useful, even if you aren't a soldier. Is this the moment to sell cosmetics and move papers in an administrative quarter? Such was the sentiment among many of the soldiers right now.
Xin disagreed. He knew that it was impossible to mobilise and supply everyone, and that the the sect needs to function financially. Otherwise, by the time the war ends, the supply chain is broken, the clients are gone, and the sect is in too much debt. It's better to mobilise gradually. Lei disagreed, he was a part of the disgruntled soldier faction.
"Is Murong Zhan coming?" Rui Ming asked. He was now wearing light and fancy enchanted scaled armour, and had a new blade. It looked simplistic, but was quite elegant. Probably just a masterwork blade, not enchanted, Xin guessed.
"Yep. He'll catch up in a few days if he fails, he's on the drafting list." Lei said as he approached them. Murong Zhan was attempting a breakthrough tonight.
"Fails? There he is." Xin was grumpy as he pointed a finger at him. Clad in a shining armour, on top of his barded horse, he looked like an officer and not like a fresh sect member.
"Guys!" Murong Zhan sounded delighted. It was clear that he broke through. He raced his horse towards them and unmounted.
"How did it go?" Xin inquired. Zhan was a metal path master, any insight could be valuable.
"I don't want to lie, I'm still in pain. Fumbled the earth qi. I took some painkillers, my meridians need a few days to restore fully, but I am so strong now! And I bought a shard!"
"A shard! Show! Show!" Lei started groping his coat and armor.
"Hands off, commoner! Look." He manifested a dao shard out of his aperture.
It was a small iron disc, sharp and perfectly round. It could pass for a large ring.
"Spinning Disc dao shard." Xin smirked. "You rich fucker. It's expensive as hell!"
"What's so special about it?" Lei raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, it's just expensive!" Xin's voice was rather sarcastic.
"Fuck you, Xin. Go joke with the other disciples." Murong Zhan said, but, noticing Xin's reaction, he got embarrassed and apologized. "I... It was a joke Xin."
This joke stung too deep.
"Fine, maybe I will. I need to meditate in private anyway." He turned around and left.
"Wait, Xin! No hard feelings, we always make fun of each other. You're still one of us, no need to worry."
"No hard feelings. I'm actually below you three now. The weakest in our company. I can't stand this. I'll rejoin you once I'm rank one. For now, we are friends, but I don't want to hang out together much. Sorry." Xin pushed Zhan's extended hand away and went aside, sitting alone in a corner.
"You stepped like five steps away, weirdo, and can hear me talk under my nose." Lei said quietly. Xin heard it and chuckled.
"Well, I've got your back, guys. I just don't want to act like nothing happened."
"Don't get yourself killed chasing this stupid goal. Just go with the flow." Rui Ming said as he turned towards Xin. He didn't seem too affected by his withdrawal. Probably because he was prone to being avoidant himself, and knew that Xin needed space.
Master Xie Xiaodan flew out the guard tower on his floating cube.
"Didn't expect me, huh? Guess what, kids. I'm your officer for this operation. Everyone's here, right? If not, I'll fucking kill ya!
Let me remind you of the warfare rules again! This war is heavily regulated, and if you play by the rules, your survival chances are higher. If you break the rules, well, you'll have to live with the consequences.
So, rule number one — no realm infringing. If you are rank one, and attack a mortal, or you are rank two, and attack a rank one — your immunity will be taken away. Realistically, it means that higher ranked masters will tear you apart. If they aren't busy." Master Xiaodan paused. What he actually meant was "think of the combat situation before breaking the rules. If the high ranked enemy masters are busy, break them freely."
"Rule number two — challenges. After a challenge, the duelists are marked, and everyone infringing on their duel will have their immunity removed. If a person is overwhelmed by higher numbers, they are allowed to give up. In this case, they have to drop their weapons, open up their core and spit out all dao shards." Being forced to open up your core was a huge humiliation, akin to rape, and being captured like this was a huge loss of face.
"If you meet a higher ranked fighter — clear way and down your weapons, or they get permission to attack you. If you attack a higher ranked fighter proactively, your immunity against that rank will be gone. Killing prisoners is strictly forbidden. If you willingly give up, you don't fight until the combat is over. Some offences lead to your combat immunity being removed, and some — to criminal sentences. Let me explain..."
He explained several more rules, before finally dropping a long anticipated "Did I make myself clear?", getting a choir of "Yeses" in response.
Xin smiled. He was toying with the idea of breaking some of these rules. His situation as a qi active mortal with an overwhelming rank one strength method certainly gave him some interesting opportunities.
"There is an obvious problem, though!" Xie Xiaodan puffed his fat cheeks. "Physical cultivators! Those bald frauds, as some young masters call them..." Lei celebrated being recognized and bowed to master Xiaodan, who was also grinning. "Those bald frauds, most aren't xiandao users at all. So, they were forced to break their troops down into ranks, compared to xiandao masters in strength. If the overseer thinks a fighter has lowered their rank and is actually stronger than claimed, their immunity will be removed!"
Xin furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. This creates too many complications. Too many opportunities for deception for the Fist sect. Especially with their emerging shendao users. This is terrible. People like Yao Nang could claim mortal-level strength and slaughter normal mortals in droves. And rank ones would be forced to lose their own immunity to restore the balance and counter such fighters. This could trigger a very unpleasant chain reaction. Our troops are at the mercy of that overseer from the capital.
"Listen again! Don't be fooled by the robe colours! They don't have to match their rank! Armpatches, that's what matters! White — mortal level! Blue — rank one power! Green — rank two! Orange — rank three! Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes, master!"
"Fine, soldiers! Now, for the officer assignments. Some rank one cultivators will be assigned a squad of ten mortals to lead, rank two masters will lead five squads each. Come get your assignments, rank twos." Several other masters have flown towards master Xiaodan on their flying swords. Xin noticed master Fang Zhi watching them from the top of the sect's watchtower. Master Zhi noticed him noticing and nodded.
"Xin, are you leaving already? Sorry!" Wu Xiaoyun rushed out of the sect's main building.
"Fuck me! You spooked me." Xin smiled as he gave her a half-hug. She took him by surprise, and with her dark makeup and hair, contrasted by the pale skin, she was also an unexpected sight to pop in your peripheral vision.
"I've been working hard, trying to make it before our troops leave. Have you got any combat medicine?"
"Blood stoppage and blood restoration pills, boar hide ointment. As always, a golden trio." It was funny how two of the three most popular combat medicine pills belonged to a banned blood path.
"Sure, check this out, please." She handed him a small glass bottle.
"A poison?" He shook it as he looked at the muddy contents under the morning sunbeams.
"That's a Dew Orchid Concoction, mixed with Three Vigours Moss. For your meridians."
Xin's heart skipped a beat.
"Are you for real? How much did the ingredients cost? Did you make it yourself?"
She leaned closer and whispered into his ear.
"I did. The recipe is from the inheritance. With this, you'll be able to overstress your meridians and immediately restore them. I heard that you failed your breakthrough... This should help with whatever you have planned."
Xin felt the goosebumps from her whispering rise up on his arms. A mention of his failure was disappointing, though. Does everyone know now?
"Xiaoyun... how much did the ingredients cost? Twenty? I can't accept this."
She pushed his hand back into his chest.
"I suspect it was you who got me out of fighting. I owe you." She suspected correctly. Xin was filled with admiration towards her intelligence. And her sudden alchemical competence.
"Thanks. I'll use your gift for good, sister." To kill bald conscripts forced into a religious war by some thuggish sectants, he thought.
"Just come back alive. I don't care about glory, or honour, or whatever, but you've got to make it. And the other guys, too. Please live." There was a desperate note in her voice.
"I can't give you this promise. I hate people lying to console others. 'Everything is going to be fine. I'll certainly survive.'. Truth is, I don't know. But I promise to do my best. And you know how good I am, you should worry about others." Xin cringed at his own boasting. What even made me say this? He nodded to Wu Xiaoyun. She probably expected a hug, but it would be too awkward.
"I see. I'll pray for our victory. Heaven bless your way." She had a cold expression again. She nodded, performed a martial gesture and left. Xin noticed many people staring at their exchange. He sat down and started munching on dried meat.
Lei approached him.
"Hehehe." He punched Xin's shoulder with his wooden arm.
"Aw! Fuck off, I told you I need some privacy."
"Privacy or not, everyone will now think she's your girlfriend. Was quite a romantic scene, don't you agree? You fumbled it like a fucking retard, of course, but it's part of your charm." Lei grinned again.
"Eh... whatever. You know the squad lists, by the way? Where will I be assigned?"
"That's the secret, come 'ere." Lei sat down near him and whispered. "Talked to master Xiaodan. I'll be given a troop of mortals to lead. Tu Qiang won't. You'll be assigned to Rui Ming's squad. He's also leading."
"Shit, that's your 'proper' master status? And Tu Qiang is still an outsider?"
"Correct. Thing is, this status is quite dangerous! At least I hope I'll loot plenty, you know?"
"And Zhan?"
"Such external masters will be a part of a force staying near the officers. They'll be reinforcing the squads as necessary."
"Aren't you worried about the physical cultivators bending the rules, by the way?"
"You know, we can always just start a slaughter. Everyone fights everyone. If we see them breaking the rules, we can just escalate."
"Many more people will die this way." Xin sighed.
"Tough luck. But seriously, the capital should have something prepared for such cases. You know, physical cultivators would be on top of the food chain if breaking the rules was so easy."
"Or Xiandao masters are easier to 'mass-produce' with less investment. And we are better at using dao shards."
"Heh, that's why you shouldn't worry. It's the Sword sect that is the problem."
"Think they'll be fighting so deep in the enemy lines? Their main force should be on the southern border, not here."
"They could come before the war started. Fist sect already has their swords, you saw them. Could have also brought some fencing instructors and fighters, why not? That's what I'd do."
"You're such a strategist, I wouldn't want to fight a sect led by such a fierce tactician."
"Nah, I'd forget something important or get seduced by a female assassin. I don't have the makings of a politician." Lei drank some water from his flask. "I'm a bit nervous, I admit. But I'm also eager to kill some baldies."
"It's good that you know your limitations. And in terms of worrying, I won't tell you not to worry, I think we should be worried. Let's just stay moderately worried for the time being. Enough to stay alert, not enough to panic."
"Hehe. Look, you know, when you called Xiaoyun sister, it sounded rather incestual, given the context."
"I bet you're into this shit, huh?"
"I have no living relatives, but conceptually, if my sister was hot..."
"Lei..." Xin coughed into his fist.
"Let me finish before judging! I thought about it and nah, it's not my cup of tea! Anyway, did you have to be so cold with the girl? She's looking for a way to pour her heart out to you, but can't find a way to not get cut by one of your spikes."
"Oh, we've got a poet here. Listen, I respect and admire her, and I think she'd make a great wife. She should find a guy who'll appreciate her. My heart is unmoved, that's all."
"Considered a fling? You still need experience, and your facial expression screams 'blue balls'."
"Your face screams Sunflower Refinement Manual, you dumb retard. Anyway, in combat, please remember that I can reliably kill rank ones. We can play off it."
"Oh, he's switching the topic! So masterful! Fine, I'll remember it."