In the period during which Qian Ye has set foot toward the Floating Realm in war, life in South Qing City remained its usual rhythm. All major manufactories, even with expansions, continued steadfast production cycles; the floating ship equipments generated within such systematic order were always in great demand. They could be offloaded readily, irrespective of the Empire purchasing them or otherwise.
The main force units completely deployed from Hidden Flame left their logistical support support behind. During this time, they did not idle away, continuing operations and coordination for military supply production and gradually taking delivery to equipment warehouses filled beyond capacity, loaded up fully with all arms and componentry. Two manufactories specialized purely in infantry gears have reached their last stages.
Though newly founded, the research branch has yielded initial research successes while hosting more than a hundred parallel projects all being initiated simultaneously. This wasn’t conjured from air, naturally; rather it drew core research specialists straight from former Ningyuan Heavy Industry Institute.
Song Zi Ning relocated nearly wholly Ningyuan Heavy Industry into The Neutral Grounds to serve as central infrastructure, which included the research arm itself as a core concern. Since his arrival onto Neutral Lands, their range of research projects multiplied extensively, primarily centered over adapting Imperial frontline combat equipments for conditions here.
Vastly different climes and landscapes exist throughout Evershadow land masses, and their primal environments vary too. Harsher environments like that prevailing over The Neutral Grounds were actually typical, thus requiring critical adaptation in military or floating crafts equipment toward the local setting.
Meanwhile, upon entering office that morning, an attendant placed a new file upon Qian Ye’s desk and said, “Roster for family affairs with our fallen comrades have completed tabulating—for your perusal.”
Qian Ye carefully read every single word within.
Nearly some 40 thousand mercenaries fell within Hidden Flame’s battles, mostly composed by those mercenaries hastily enrolled toward the conclusion stages at war. As of now the families of this late-enlargened cohort were not even accounted for but original Hidden Flame comrades’ families alone already totaled fourteen thousand households.
Given Hidden Flame’s independent operational capacity bolstered by absorbed Ning Yuan, Hidden Flame possessed a level of stability that most ordinary military company could only dream of, thereby its warriors were indeed largely supported family networks. Out of the total extended families, nearly 30 thousands youth of 10 years up showed potential in primal power.
A figure that exceeded overall levels prevailing over Qin Lands. This had arisen directly from Neutral Lands’ peculiar environmental pressure. Alas as the Law suggests, advantages bear drawback. Inclined to quick maturation due to sheer survival necessity also caused inherent internal unsteady formation; hence for long nobody had emerged a Sovereign Lord, where even so-called prodigies tended collapse upon reaching the General’s Stage and never advanced onward.
Even providing firearms to this empowered young contingent transformed them into combat-efficient troops—potentially even competent petty commissioned leaders. The fact that they could fire primal force empowered rounds, over mundane weaponry in hands, constituted a categorical difference between battle effectiveness.
Subtract elder folk, the active women population hovered around five hundred, whose wartime contribution remained considerable and qualified them readily during emergencies as auxiliary fighters.
Imperial standards set fallen benefits at ten times annual compensation; that is, a soldier earned regular yearly compensation equal tenfold to their benefits payout, quite generous. In this particular White City Campaign that saw Hidden Flame playing the pivotal role while suffering massive damage accordingly deserved full state benefits. Even with reduced to merely third-tier compensation, they still surpassed average Neutral Lands mercenary pay out standard easily.
Hidden Flamed secured nearly 4 million Imperial Gold units for first portion, and an approximate three million remains expected later on schedule. For the depleted company in current condition, that sum qualified an actual windfall, sufficient purchasing at least 2 Cruisers or equivalently outfitting 3 complete full-strength divisions belonging to any Imperial elite Corps.
At present Hidden Flame Headquarter possessed only less than 2,000 fully combat ready men; recruitment drive stood mandatory. Yet Qian Ye remained unfazed over such issues. With many seasoned veterans showing improved combat capacity lately, new formations could emerge organically and rapidly.
In preparation earlier for that Great Vortex Door Battle, Song Zi Ning introduced intact military Instructor Units who remained stationed inside Hidden Flame until current date intact—so equipped and trained under standard issue procedures from any elite imperial corps they could generate fully operational Three Combat Ready Formations at a moments call.
But how, exactly these new Hidden Flames would be structured stood entirely contingent upon Qian Ye himself to finalize.
Draft after draft failed to earn full favor while the crescent moon rose high midheavens, no definitive resolution found.
Qian Ye threw down his quill altogether and instead paced before the floor windows, eyes fixed onto the now silent sleeping silhouette of South Qing. Such was a job formerly shouldered entirely by Song Zi Ning, alas, his sudden return toward the Imperial Heartland left him uncertain when—if—he’ll ever return—and Qian Ye simply couldn’t afford total reliance on someone who could so easily go missing across the Empire.
Looking down this slumbering domain of the night, especially how deserted the Hidden Flame compound looked from up here now, peace seeped inward gradually within him and clarity about next steps gradually formed.
In beginning, this Hidden Flame arose purely to defend South Qing, but after Song Zi Ning’s return here they began major expansion plans to back Qian Ye along Sacred Mount aspirations. One must possess a major influential presence before ascending high realms.
Accordingly its missions shifted from originally merely protective functions towards outward aggression campaigns. Upon reflection after this brutal White City campaign, he realized he definitely needed to field an elite fighting team directly synergizing with his power capabilities.
Now standing on battlefield himself, he was no longer one someone easily countered, nor was it practical just to throw any army formation with random compatibility; rather he required an elite unit at the caliber level exemplified solely by Crimson Scourge’s Scorpion Overlords in order to maintain the rhythm demanded upon the chaos of high power engagements.
Looking forward toward Evershadow Parliament’s most exclusive elite unit bearing black suns standards—“Drawn Swords,” that constituted a near-perfect culmination and finalization over that same path.
Reflecting thoroughly led Qian Ye decisively abandoning initial concepts of raising three evenly equipped infantry divisions while evenly allocate supplies among them. Instead he settled for raising fifthly-thousand men—fully outfitted at the highest Neutral Lands commando standards first—and thereafter invest his surplus funds fully into equipping an elite force at the Crimson Scourge standard. Each warrior must have received full armoring and weaponry down to last possible edged tooth.
Sufficient capital for a force two full imperial divisions was available, and at that premium per soldier cost, he could outfit only roughly two-thousand elite members maximum—but each of which will likely possess battlefield effectiveness of not lower than those full two Imperial battle formations.
Only a team like this matched his pace.
His plan was set, then actions proceeded rapidly. Without sleep overnight, when day first lightened across horizon, already a detailed plan laid before him completed.
With ringing desk bell a second time brought arrival of the administrator delegated here by Song prior departure into distant lands. This aide managed channels for military equippurchase and upon reading plans, a twitch in his cheeks betrayed inner tension briefly. But quickly, that expression was masked behind steady professionalism before he excused himself quietly.
This acquisition plan carried significant difficulty—not even addressing some particularly classified and strategically vital armaments which Imperial Regulations strictly control—but as a responsible aide it’s upon him fulfilling all directives as assigned. Since Song Zi Ning currently resides within homeland, such access networks from his extensive prior Imperial connections will serve this very need.
Then following several days, the next recruitment campaign began rolling for revived Hidden Flame.
As ever typical here in The Neutral Grounds when news travelled swiftly, by a few days Floating Realm’s battle consequence already widespread. Various territories belonging darkness-breeding races grew significantly quieter; Human factions however utilized this opening, expanding accordingly.
To many freelancing individual mercenaries, this represented clear opportunity. All across channels they streamed toward Eastern Sea, assembling at South Qing waiting upon potential hiring.
Hidden Flame’s decisive pivotal participation within Floating Realm battles had long transcended traditional mercenary scope with a considerable portion of public thinking already viewing them past being simple “Mercenaries” anylongers. Historically two great factions’ wars always deployed mercenaries purely for cannon-fodder roles—assigned high death risk and tasked as sacrificial tools.
Yet victory Human won Floating Realm, and bloodied valor Hidden Flame’s White City chapter displayed brought fame and renown beyond their previous reach. Their reputation swelled until they emerged de facto recognized as Number.1 Premier Merc Corps within The Land Of Indifferences now. Furthermore, its stable foundation combined superior treatment offerings made even ambitious free agents long for potential placement into their ranks.
Upon learning about major loss numbers sustained in the aftermath of White Campaign, if other potential applicants didn’t fear that number at all—if anything—it further sharpened competition within their hearts for potential openings.
During first few enrollment days Qian Ye initiated organizational reforms reshaking the surviving older members, using veterans as foundational bones establishing structure for five traditional Infantry Formations along alongside embryo forms for a core Elite Shock Commando force before launching immediate first-round recruitment drives focused among fallen comrades’ surviving relatives.
This initial attempt bore incredible success—majority among those youthful warriors with awakened Primordial abilities, and mature-willed women folk chose enlistment eagerly thus bringing forth around thirty thousand battle ready candidates within immediate access reach for Qian Ye. Compared against outside applicants coming through gate, even while still relatively lacking in martial experience these kinfolk’s advantage lied entirely beyond their battlefield merits—absolute loyalty beyond that found in mere strangers.
For continuing waves of applicants pouring from distant points, careful selections integrated among existing cadres, followed up a second round intensive training regimen sufficed in bringing them into full fighting capability over period measured.
Minimum time requirement necessary for whole training regiment stood around four weeks, but procurement of those crucial incoming supplies directly from Empire added further wait prolong. Yet although Hidden Flame maintains thorough procedures for training-integrational phases, for anything of major magnitude final decision remained contingent solely on personal adjudication from The Leader. Hence Qian Ye discovered increasingly, that merely processing endless paperwork submissions per day, left daylight hours passing unaware without realization.
Such situation obviously untenable. Even practice time had become unassured anymore. Still stored within Anuday Dimension remained that Taixuan Martial Codex restored fully by Elder Zhang Beren—true, this art contained layers of complexity requiring further interpretation through personal meditation sessions—but even so, its basic practicing schedule must stay protected.
Conversely even although Elder Zhang reduced his blood vitality to a simple Viscounty stage via those unfathomable divine techniques, imbalance between current power and innate energy continued dangerously imminent still.
Within such state, the best move should be dispersing part of decision authority itself. With Song Zi Ning’s complete administrative apparatus still present, and fully trustworthy, routine issues were handled automatically even without his input, most minor concerns solved internally.
This appeared ideal on parchment indeed—at paper review Song system design proved comprehensive too, every administrative layer clearly outlining exactly which authority range could decide which matters precisely.
Yet such efficiency belonged merely to daily operations—what Qian Ye undertook lately was expansionary initiatives. Matters brought up for his decision were invariably high impact and potentially long-term transformational undertones, especially directly connected to strategic positioning and core capability developments of the Hidden Flame Corps. Leaving decisions like that entirely in secondary hands meant potentially jeopardizing Hidden Flame’s entire structure itself.
After several days spent sifting through each regulation chain he eventually gave up frustratedly—there existed literally nothing he really could revise or reorganize. And only when standing within Song Zi Ning’s former position himself could he comprehend precisely how difficult everything Song managed daily truly had become. Who would had imagined that such a seven lord so deeply immersed amidst endless stacks of scrolls and documents still retained strength enough for his own lightning progress through martial cultivation tiers?
All this remained his new reality now—where even pen stroke weight as heavily as blade edges themselves.
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