Upon joining the Jiushan Army, a notification signaling the completion of a side quest was automatically transmitted from the main deity’s temple.
After Wu Ming and the others had some food and rest for the night, the next day Xiao Jude went to report to Liu Jie’s command.
The yabing and yajiang were the commander’s personal guards, staying close day and night, and therefore held a special position with more opportunities for promotion.
Wu Ming, accompanied by Yuan Tai, came to the new recruits’ camp.
After verifying their identities, an officer with two small mustaches and a sharp look led Wu Ming inside the camp.
“These two thousand newly trained recruits are all here. According to the regulations, you may only select them ten at a time…”
The new recruits were organized into squads and platoons, temporarily assigned squad and platoon leaders, and balanced in strength. If they were to be taken away, they had to be taken in groups of ten.
Moreover, the seeds for future elite soldiers and generals had already been selected beforehand by the various command captains and commanders.
“You are a squad leader and allowed to select five groups of ten. Then you can go to the military supply warehouse to collect fifty swords and spears, five sets of leather armor, and other supplies such as bedding and cooking utensils…”
After the officer finished speaking, he fell silent.
“Yuan Tai!”
Wu Ming gave a signal, and Yuan Tai immediately stepped forward with a beaming smile, secretly slipping something into the officer’s hand.
The officer felt the weight in his palm, glanced sideways, and caught sight of a glimmer of gold that almost dazzled his eyes. His face immediately lit up with a smile: “But Wu Squad Leader is a Jiushan elite and naturally deserves special treatment—you can select them five at a time!”
He discreetly pocketed the gold leaf, then subtly counted what he had received, and gritted his teeth slightly: “Also, within these new recruits, if there are any you particularly like, you can take them individually—up to ten!”
This was a privilege usually reserved for camp commanders or higher-ranking officers.
“Thank you!”
Wu Ming didn’t pretend to be modest. He immediately stepped forward, walking through each camp and carefully examining each recruit.
He activated his Spirit Eye. In an instant, various faint glimmers appeared—some gray-white, some pitch-black, and some crimson-red.
Although they had already been picked over by the various commanders, there were still many promising candidates among the two thousand recruits.
“With this heavenly eye, it’s like having a dragon-slaying technique at my disposal!”
Wu Ming examined them one by one. He saw mostly gray-white auras, very few with any red, and a few with glimmers of starlight, which made him extremely pleased.
Even if he were to become an ordinary person in another world, with this special skill, he would still have the potential to rise to prominence.
“Pity… ordinary fortune-tellers wouldn’t see as clearly as I do, not to mention the backlash they’d face…”
He also understood in his heart that without the true divine vision privilege of a deity’s avatar—essentially leveraging the deity’s power as a form of advantage—he likely wouldn’t have been able to perceive things so clearly. Even a genuine immortal or a Taoist master might not possess insight comparable to his.
“Although the fortune-telling technique only reveals one’s innate nature and fortune, not necessarily talent, it’s still mostly accurate—about seven or eight out of ten.”
After a quick scan, he selected eight squads of forty recruits: “This squad, and this one… this one, step forward!”
“Huh? So fast?”
The bribed officer was a bit stunned. Usually, when squad leaders or camp commanders came to choose recruits, they would take their time, deliberating for half a day. How come this big customer just took a few glances and made a decision?
Looking closer, these eight squads were just average recruits, so he asked: “You can still change your mind anytime today. Won’t you pick a few more?”
“If their combat skills are balanced, then it doesn’t matter. I’m more looking forward to those ten individuals you promised me!”
Wu Ming replied.
In reality, these eight squads were carefully chosen by him. Though they looked similar on the surface, their innate fortune and destiny were slightly higher than the others. Among them were a few with faint crimson auras and glimmers of starlight.
Based on the oral instructions from Wu Qing and his own observations, Wu Ming had concluded that fortune-telling mainly depended on the form and color of the aura.
Setting aside the form for now, just from the perspective of color:
Black represented great misfortune, although it was also the color of military might.
White represented commoners, with a smooth and full appearance being superior. If it had a gray-black or sinister feel, however, it could be harmful.
Crimson was higher still, something not commonly found in ordinary people.
“You squad leaders, where are you? Come out and pay your respects!”
Seeing Wu Ming’s firmness, the officer called out.
Immediately, eight burly men stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and saluted: “Your subordinate greets Squad Leader!”
“Alright, rise!”
As they bowed, Wu Ming could see wisps of cloud-like vapor rising from the heads of these forty recruits, tinged with crimson and starlight, flowing into his own aura above.
Each day, a portion of the squad leaders’ fortune from the Jiushan Army also floated in, naturally joining his own.
“This official’s fortune comes from the loyalty and support of subordinates below, while from above, it is granted by superiors through the system…”
Wu Ming now had a clear understanding.
As a commander with real authority over fifty subordinates, he could naturally absorb their fortune and concentrate it on himself.
By holding a position in the Jiushan Army, he also received fortune from the system.
Overall, the subordinates contributed the most, but the fortune from the official rank, though smaller, was received daily.
“As long as I hold an official position, I can continuously benefit from fortune every day. Pity I’m still at the ninth rank. If I were promoted to a true immortal…”
Wu Ming suddenly had a thought.
He himself was like a locust, feeding off the fortune of the Jiushan Army, but what about that Southern Mountain Immortal?
A ninth-rank official received only a white aura daily, while a seventh-rank might receive crimson. A true immortal, at the fifth rank, would receive golden-yellow fortune.
This outflow was terrifying—almost like a normal person constantly bleeding every day.
For the Southern Mountain Immortal, this would naturally accelerate his cultivation and enhance his Dao power rapidly. But for someone like Li Rubi… well…
Without hesitation, Wu Ming activated his cultivation technique and absorbed the white fortune granted by his ninth-rank position, further enhancing his cultivation.
“As for the fortune from these subordinates, I should leave a seed as a foundation for command!”
With a thought, most of the fortune from these forty recruits was absorbed, leaving behind a small portion that appeared black and white with hints of crimson. It faintly formed a small seal-like shape, similar to his official seal.
“What a delight!”
Just one day’s worth of fortune support was equivalent to a whole month of solitary cultivation.
Wu Ming couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: “Pity… If only I were promoted to a true immortal, I could instantly reach the peak of internal refinement and ascend to the mage rank!”
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Wu Ming stepped forward and addressed his subordinates: “Rise! Remember, I, Wu Ming, am now your squad leader!”
The forty recruits rose, impressed by Wu Ming’s extraordinary demeanor.
In terms of fortune, this meant a continuous flow of fortune drifting toward him, merging into the small seal.
Of course, compared to the two previous major gains, this was just a trickle. But it was continuous and unending.
“These are the forty. There are still ten more I can choose freely, correct?”
“Indeed!”
Receiving confirmation, Wu Ming didn’t say more and went to the few individuals he had his eye on.
Earlier, during his quick scan of the two thousand recruits, he had still spotted a few overlooked gems. Now he called them out: “You, you, step forward!”
Two new recruits stepped out: “Greetings, sir!”
“Hmm, what are your names?”
Though these two recruits were short and stocky, their muscles were hard and their beards bristled like steel. Though they didn’t look impressive, one had a faint golden aura around his innate nature, and the other had a deep crimson one—both were extraordinary.
“Your subordinates are Zhong Ting and Niu Yong, greetings, sir!”
They hurriedly saluted.
“Good. From now on, you will follow me!”
Wu Ming continued walking and stopped in front of another person: “What is your name?”
“I… I am He Zihai!”
The man before Wu Ming was pale and thin, with an air of poverty, even bearing scars, and had been pushed to the back of the formation.
“Hmm… Have you studied?”
Despite this, Wu Ming noticed his long, slender fingers and fair skin, so he casually asked.
He Zihai trembled: “I’ve read a few books, recognized a few characters—I’m not completely illiterate!”
This demeanor was somewhat extraordinary.
What Wu Ming valued most was this person’s potential.
Through his fortune-telling technique, he saw a foot-high clear light above He Zihai’s head, brilliant like brocade. This was the sign of someone who had deeply studied a classic, grasped its true meaning, and practiced it diligently. More importantly, there were faint strands of starlight entwined within his innate nature. Though not a true fated star, it had reached the level of revealing his main star.
“…He carries literary fortune. Could he be a Star of Literary Brilliance?”
Wu Ming almost smiled: “By the standards for selecting warriors, this scholar would naturally be rejected. In times of chaos, military power is paramount, and a literate scholar is practically useless!”
Thus, he said: “Hmm, my squad still needs a scribe. Would you be willing to take this position?”
“Gladly! Gladly!”
He Zihai clearly had no desire to remain in his original unit. He nodded repeatedly and knelt: “Your subordinate He Zihai greets you, sir! You have lifted me from the mud, sir! Your great kindness can only be repaid with my life!”
Such words were not something an ordinary person could say.
Wu Ming helped him up. Seeing the uncertain expressions of those around, he smiled again: “You two, and you, the third squad of the Jia group, the seventh squad of the Bing group—all of you, step forward!”
He immediately called out dozens of physically imposing recruits, tested each one, ordered them to demonstrate weapons, and held martial contests. Finally, he selected seven exceptionally brave and powerful warriors.
Adding them to the previous three, he had exactly ten.
“That’s all!”
The officer, who had been somewhat surprised by Wu Ming’s selection process, now nodded approvingly when he saw these seven. They were all exceptionally fierce and bold, nearly on par with elite guards. They had narrowly missed selection in previous rounds due to slight bad luck, so this now seemed reasonable.
This was Wu Ming holding back.
If he had selected one or two outstanding individuals, he could have explained it as having a good feeling. But selecting ten, all of whom could write brilliant prose or command troops and subdue tigers, would make even a fool suspicious.
Moreover, fortune alone was not enough; they also needed actual ability to be of use.
As a squad leader managing fifty men, Wu Ming now had a complete unit. He then led them to the military supply warehouse, where he used silver to secure the best equipment. Returning to the original camp, he ordered them to line up, and immediately, they stood out.
“Your subordinates greet you, sir!”
As the formation aligned, they all knelt together. Though only fifty men, each was an elite. Wisps of fortune swirled around them, clearly superior—equivalent to the fortune of four or five ordinary squads. Wu Ming couldn’t help but feel delighted.
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