Chapter 140: The Duel (Part I)

The quartermaster seemed startled by the words, saying, “Of course you can, but our military achievements are regularly reviewed by a dedicated person. There should be no mistakes.”

He rose from his seat, took a ledger from a shelf behind him, and rummaged through the desk for a moment, then laid out the detailed records of kills, missions, and supplies in front of Qian Ye.

Qian Ye didn’t bother with the other items, picking up the supplies ledger and seeing the most recent entry: two close-combat weapons turned in, credited with a standard fourth-class merit. This number was considerably off.

Without a change in expression, Qian Ye pointed to the section on equipment turned in and asked, “What’s this about?”

The quartermaster glanced at it and frowned, “What’s what? Didn’t you exchange for two weapons? This is the awarded merit.”

“Are you sure?” Qian Ye sneered.

The quartermaster, irritated, poked forcefully at the ledger, “We, the Li family of Jing Tang, have always been highly reputable in this matter! No matter who you are, if you want to cause trouble, think twice about your weight. Your time is up, get out, there are others waiting!”

Qian Ye suddenly smiled, “What did you say?”

“I said, get out…”

Before the quartermaster could finish, Qian Ye kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backward, crashing through the wall into the storeroom.

The sudden change brought silence to the area. It was only after a while that a few Li family warriors reacted, pushing through the crowd and pointing their dark guns at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye pulled over a chair and sat down calmly, saying, “Call Li Weishi. Also, don’t point your guns at me, or you never know what might happen.”

The Li family warriors looked at each other, and one of them quickly ran off. Qian Ye waited quietly, and the temperature around seemed to drop. One warrior shivered, his gun lowering slightly, the sights moving away from Qian Ye, and the others followed suit.

A few people from neighboring rooms peeked out, but no one approached. Several strong figures who hadn’t left yet remained, watching the situation develop.

“What’s happening?”

“Looks like someone stole his military merit.”

“Can such a thing happen?”

Many strong faces soured. Disputes over military merit were common, ranging from personal and unit levels to larger combat units and army groups. Various causes and forms.

However, the recruitment of independent strongmen by noble families was different. They weren’t vassals, and they fought for the bounties on the battlefield. No one wanted to return and be cheated of their reward, which was a big no-no.

The Li family had a good reputation, though not without disputes, but they were usually resolved quickly. This sort of commotion was a first, so everyone just watched, whispering among themselves.

Qian Ye’s ears twitched, catching a whispered phrase, “Ha, I knew it. He’ll definitely cause a fuss now. A fuss will make things easier; there are plenty of ways to deal with him.”

Though the voice was soft, Qian Ye’s heightened senses from absorbing the Nether Ghost remnants and void essence picked it up. He heard the ill-intentioned, somewhat familiar voice clearly.

Qian Ye turned and looked in the direction of the voice. Two men stood in a corner, watching with amused and schadenfreude expressions. One was Du Li, and the other was a middle-aged man with the Li family emblem.

Seeing Qian Ye looking straight at them, Du Li looked surprised, then gave a fierce, arrogant look and made a throat-cutting gesture.

Qian Ye, seemingly indifferent to Du Li’s provocation, only glanced at him and then at the middle-aged Li family member. The man seemed uncomfortable, coughed, and left the area.

In a short while, Li Weishi arrived, first dispersing the surrounding Li family warriors, then leaning in, smiling bitterly, “I was going to explain this to you, but you saw it first.”

Qian Ye raised an eyebrow, glancing at the broken wall. He hadn’t used much force, but the unfortunate quartermaster was still being carried away by the Li family warriors.

Li Weishi, sweating, said, “That man… he wasn’t fully aware. Follow me, we need to talk somewhere else. This isn’t convenient.”

Qian Ye nodded. Li Weishi’s tone and demeanor suggested the quartermaster wasn’t completely clueless, but Li Weishi had always been respectful and good-natured to Qian Ye. Qian Ye decided to hear his explanation.

As Qian Ye stood up, a burly man blocked his path. Staring at Qian Ye, he said, “You’re the Ten-Star Brigadier General with the best treatment?”

He emphasized “Ten-Star,” drawing all eyes. The news had clearly been circulating. For free strongmen, status and money went hand in hand, and such obvious “unfairness” meant a loss of face.

Qian Ye looked at the man in the center of the passage. If he remembered correctly, this was the same man who had shouted last time. Muscles bulging, chest hair thick, danger emanating from every pore.

Qian Ye glanced at Li Weishi and then said, “Is my treatment any of your concern?”

The burly man stepped forward, staring fiercely, “What do you mean?!” He was an Eleven-Star, and usually won against opponents of the same rank, seeing no reason to back down.

Qian Ye sneered, “I mean, you aren’t qualified!”

Before he finished, a sea-roar sound filled the area. Most stumbled under the sudden pressure, except for a few strong ones. The ordinary Li family warriors fell to the ground.

The burly man, red-faced, knees creaking, seemed ready to collapse, held up only by sheer will.

After advancing, Qian Ye’s control over his domain increased. The pressure of the sea vortex focused on the burly man, how could he bear it?

Qian Ye reached out, grabbed the burly man by the neck, lifted him, then withdrew the domain power.

The man felt a steel band around his neck, unable to breathe, lungs feeling like they would burst, blood rushing to his face.

He tried to summon his prime force, but his once powerful strength felt weak, crumbling against Qian Ye’s prime force. In desperation, he tried to pry Qian Ye’s hand, but it was like blue steel, immovable.

Caught off guard, Li Weishi staggered, regaining his balance to see the burly man in Qian Ye’s grip. He hurriedly called out, “General Qian Ye, let’s talk!”

Qian Ye shook the burly man like a dead chicken, “Wasn’t it you who didn’t want to talk?” He glanced at the standing strongmen, “Rank sometimes means nothing.”

Their faces changed, but seeing the man struggle like a fish out of water, they quickly returned to normal, avoiding Qian Ye’s gaze.

Qian Ye then turned to Du Li, coldly, “Du Li, are you going to take back your dog? If you don’t, I’ll help dispose of him.”

Du Li, initially evasive, hardened his resolve, eyes flashing as he walked towards Qian Ye, “How do you suggest I take him back?”

“Simple, fight in the arena, let me vent,” Qian Ye said calmly.

Du Li’s face twisted, “Vent? You think you can beat me so easily?”

Qian Ye smiled, “Scared? After all, I’m an Eleven-Star now.”

Du Li’s face changed, but the situation forced him, “Fine, let’s go. Don’t regret it. Remember, I, Du Li, am not some nameless foot soldier!”

The hidden meaning was clear to many. Lu Sha and his group were well-known. Du Li was already showing weakness, but many still felt a chill. A pack of wolves is more dangerous than a lone wolf.

Li Weishi, resigned, said, “General Qian Ye, it’s better not to escalate. There’s a big figure behind this.”

“A big figure? Oh, we’ll talk after the fight.”

Li Weishi sighed, seeing Qian Ye’s resolute face.

News spread fast, and by the time Qian Ye and Du Li reached the arena, the stands were filling up, with more on the way.

The fight was set for half an hour later, with ten minutes to go. People were taking their seats, the entire base seemed stirred.

Qian Ye sat quietly, meditating, while Du Li appeared nervous, constantly moving and channeling his prime force.

When another group arrived, Qian Ye opened his eyes, meeting the gaze of a young man.

The man, ordinary-looking but with sharp, bright eyes, smiled calmly.

Qian Ye’s eyes narrowed, nodding before closing them again.

Behind the young man, a guard leaned in, whispering, “Young Master Qingyun, should I check his background?”

Li Qingyun stroked his chin, “This man is interesting. Get his file.”

The guard fetched the documents quickly, handing them to Li Qingyun.

Glancing over, Li Qingyun tapped the file, addressing a nearby general, “So, that’s Qian Ye. Is the Second Elder trying to establish authority with the Imperial Twin Stars? At such a crucial time for us, this approach seems unwise.”