Recruitment

Within the charter, what Wei Yuan paid the most attention to was the martial test—something Zhang Sheng had never mentioned. For the martial test, all candidates would be gathered in a grotto-heaven illusory realm and randomly divided into two opposing forces. Each side held a stronghold. Annihilating the enemy completely counted as victory, as did capturing and holding the opposing side's stronghold. After finishing the charter, Wei Yuan still had many questions. For instance, how would the two teams be divided? Who would command them? How would the candidates become acquainted and coordinate? Would martial implements be issued, and would the equipment be fair? Though Wei Yuan had read about many real historical battles and studied elementary military strategy, there were simply too many unknowns to deduce anything. After pondering repeatedly, it seemed his only choice was to adapt on the fly during the test. In any case, scores were calculated based on enemies eliminated; when the time came, he would take down as many as he could. Having fought and killed refugees with his own hands at the age of three, Wei Yuan naturally had no fear of slaughter. Just then, a soft knock sounded at his door. Wei Yuan opened it to find several youths standing outside. The one in the center had delicate features and wore lavish blue robes. He was only slightly shorter than Wei Yuan; by the standards of Ye County's mountains, this youth appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old. Each of these youths carried an aura of radiant nobility. Some saw Wei Yuan's tall, robust build, looked at his coarse hempen garments, and showed disdain on their faces. The youth in the center, however, brightened at the sight of Wei Yuan's height and frame. "I am Li Zhi, eldest son of Duke Huien of Southern Qi," he said. "How should I address you, Senior Brother?" Wei Yuan was slightly surprised. One glance at the youth was enough to tell he was of exalted status, but Wei Yuan had not expected him to be the son of a state duke from Southern Qi. Though Wei Yuan had never heard of Duke Huien, he understood the official systems of the various states. The title of Duke Huien not only signified a state duke, but one hailing from the imperial clan. Moreover, Southern Qi was currently at the peak of its power; in recent clashes, it had battered the State of Ji into utter defeat. Yet why would the son of a Southern Qi duke travel tens of thousands of li to Fengyuan Commandery in the State of Ji just to take the examination? Seeing Li Zhi's inquiry, Wei Yuan recalled the young Daoist's warning. He replied, "I am truly sorry, but the Daoist master just instructed that we must not reveal our identities or names." A youth beside Li Zhi sneered. "Could a petty rule like that actually bind us? Senior Brother Li sought you out—that is your fortune! If you don't seize good fortune when it comes, it will belong to someone else in a moment. You're so old and look so dull; you couldn't actually be a Fengyuan local, could you? Haha!" Another youth chimed in, "Looking at his clothes, he must be. The locals from Fengyuan we saw earlier were all dressed in rags, too." Wei Yuan remained silent. Li Zhi did not stop the two youths, nor did he join in their mockery. Instead, he peered into the room, spotted the charter on the desk, and smiled faintly. "So Senior Brother is being so diligent. But the contents of that charter are mostly nonsense. I, Li Zhi, dislike beating around the bush. I came to find you this time specifically for the martial test." *The martial test?* Stirred, Wei Yuan said, "I would be glad to hear the details." Seeing him finally respond, Li Zhi's spirits rose. "The martial test actually tests the art of rallying a host. Looking merely at the surface of the charter, each person is evaluated individually based on their actions in the test; victors are not necessarily rated high, and the defeated are not necessarily rated low. But if you think carefully, if a side truly suffers defeat, how high can anyone's rating really be? Therefore, the key to winning the martial test lies before it even begins." None of this had ever occurred to Wei Yuan, so he pricked up his ears and listened intently. Li Zhi continued, "Why did they gather us in the dormitories in advance without forbidding us from meeting one another? It is precisely so we can organize and make contact during this time, establishing who leads and who follows. In this martial test, I intend to operate under a military structure, assigning positions beforehand—general, roving commander, vanguard, and the like—while the rest will serve as soldiers. The moment we enter the martial test, we will muster immediately and act under military orders, strictly enforcing every command. Only then can we deliberate before acting and direct our forces as effortlessly as moving our own arms! When our disciplined, elite army confronts their disorganized mob, how could we fail to win?" At this point, Li Zhi looked Wei Yuan up and down, smiling. "Judging by your presence, Senior Brother, the vanguard belongs to none other than you! As long as we smoothly take the martial test, what would it cost me to guarantee you a spot in a third-tier blessed land? And if you render great service, a second-tier grotto-heaven is not out of reach either." Wei Yuan was taken aback. He had not expected that places in blessed lands and grotto-heavens—things considered extraordinarily precious under normal circumstances—could be tossed away so casually by Li Zhi. Wei Yuan still remembered that before his departure, his father Wei Youcai's greatest hope for him was to enter the Red Tide Sect and officially step onto the immortal path, all so he could live several decades longer. Yet in Li Zhi's eyes, even offering a spot in such a sect was too shabby to mention; he did not bring it up at all. Wei Yuan was still young. At this moment, he only felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart, though he could not say why. Still, he indeed had questions, and since Li Zhi was willing to speak, he continued, "What if I accept your recruitment, Senior Brother, but we are assigned to different teams?" Li Zhi smiled and said, "Senior Brother, your years certainly haven't been lived in vain. That is a good question. The division of teams is decided by the great figures themselves; I do not know who will end up on which side either. If you are placed on the other team, you need only turn your spear around at the critical moment. Even if your rating drops somewhat because of that, the scores of everyone else on your side will drop even lower, so your ranking will actually rise. Taking a step back, even if your final score turns out poorly, I will provide extra compensation—at the very least, a spot in a third-tier blessed land is guaranteed. What do you say, Senior Brother? Are you willing to share your name now?" Wei Yuan shook his head. "The regulations state that candidates are strictly forbidden from disclosing their origins and names before the examination." The smile froze on Li Zhi's face. Forcing out a grin, he said, "Such things as rules are chains to common folk, but in our hands, they are whips to drive others. Since you are following me, Senior Brother, there is no need to care about rules." "If you have no other business, Senior Brother Li, I will return to studying the charter." Wei Yuan cupped his hands to Li Zhi, went back inside, and shut the door. How could the youths outside contain themselves? Those with better upbringing rebuked Wei Yuan for having eyes that failed to recognize a true immortal, while those with worse manners broke into outright curses. To them, Wei Yuan was nothing more than a mere native, already well along in years; being able to enter the Red Tide Sect would have been a stroke of immense luck. For a fourth-tier sect, let alone new disciples, even the core true disciples lacked the qualifications to speak to them. Now that Li Zhi was willing to bestow a third-tier favor, how dared this fellow not kowtow in gratitude? Li Zhi showed no anger. He said calmly, "It is of no matter. There will always be those who hold themselves above others. When they see their final scores, they will naturally regret it." Li Zhi bypassed Wei Yuan's room and headed for the next door. Before he could even knock, that door swung open on its own, and a youth rushed out, his face beaming with servile smiles. "I am Lü Duan of Linghe Commandery in Yongzhou... no, of Fengyuan Commandery! I am eager to hitch myself to your carriage, Senior Brother!" Another door further down opened as well, and a young girl stepped out, bowing gracefully. "Wang Siqiao of Yanzhou wishes to follow Senior Brother Li." Then several more doors opened one after another, and quite a few boys and girls emerged. "Duan Qian wishes to follow Senior Brother!" "Cao Wan is willing to fight alongside Senior Brother!" ... The smile on Li Zhi's face had already blossomed like a flower. He helped the youths up one by one, offering consolations and promises in gentle tones like a spring breeze nourishing the earth, staging a full play of mutual devotion between lord and subjects. Inside the room, Wei Yuan continued reading the charter. What Li Zhi had said about rules being chains for others and whips in their own hands was not inherently wrong. But while it could deceive others, deceiving Wei Yuan, who was well-read in the history books, was not so easy. Li Zhi had a special status; openly violating the rules was inconsequential for him. But if Wei Yuan disclosed his name and identity before the examination, that offense alone would immediately disqualify him from the joint examination. Had Wei Yuan answered just now, he would have effectively handed leverage over his very life straight to Li Zhi. Such examples were as numerous as hairs on an ox throughout the histories. How could Wei Yuan fall for it?