The following days passed without a ripple.
After the headquarters for the mercenary corps was chosen, the seeds from the Far East Heavy Industry mine outside Broken River City began to move in batches towards Blackstream City. Song Hu took charge of everything, from the reconstruction of the new location to the organized relocation of the seeds and the necessary logistics and supplies. Seeing Song Hu busy like a hummingbird, Qian Ye decided to send Twin Sisters Aqi and Ajiu to assist him.
These twin girls finally had a chance to apply the business management they learned at the merchant guild. They were both diligent and meticulous, quickly becoming indispensable assistants to Song Hu within a couple of days.
Qian Ye only listened to a daily evening report and left the rest of the matters entirely to them, while he spent most of his time in meditation. Qian Ye had decided that after settling the mercenary corps, he would venture into the wilderness for hunting, not only to earn bounties to sustain the corps but also to see the world with his own eyes. In the wilderness, one’s strength was the greatest assurance.
At this moment, Wei Po Tian was still buried in mountains of documents when Wei Hou, who had been absent for two days, silently walked in. Wei Dong Ming saw that, although Wei Po Tian was still grimacing at the files, his handwriting showed no sign of disorder, making him secretly nod in satisfaction.
Wei Po Tian hurriedly stood up and asked, “Father, you’re back so soon?”
Wei Dong Ming seemed to be in a good mood, jokingly scolding, “Your father has many important matters to attend to; I can’t spend too much time in this tiny place. However, my rounds these past few days show the situation is stable, which indicates you’ve been managing your duties well.”
Wei Po Tian complained with a frown, “These trivial tasks are more troublesome than battles!”
Wei Dong Ming’s face turned stern, and he began lecturing, “You will be the head of our family someday; you can’t just focus on fighting! Since your Uncle Bai Nian is unwilling to take the post, we’ll gradually hand over this defense zone to the Expeditionary Army. Of course, we can’t just give it away; we need to make sure they pay a fair price.”
As he spoke, Wei Dong Ming’s expression softened, “I’ve arranged the itinerary; you’ll accompany me in a few days. The ancestors miss you, and it’s time you met the girls and choose one, so I can have a grandson sooner.”
To his surprise, Wei Po Tian said, “Uncle Bai Nian has agreed to stay.”
Wei Dong Ming was shocked, “What? Bai Nian wants to stay?!”
Wei Po Tian shrugged, “Yes, I don’t know why either. He refused flatly just a few days ago, but suddenly told me he’d stay yesterday. He’s already inspecting the outposts today.”
Wei Dong Ming still found it hard to believe, “That’s impossible! He clearly… “
Before he could finish, Wei Po Tian realized what was happening and fixed a stern gaze on his father.
When Wei Dong Ming met Wei Bai Nian that evening, he was less surprised. His younger cousin had always been laid-back and free-spirited. If he found interest in the Evernight Continent and could keep something he loved, Wei Dong Ming wouldn’t object. However, the family’s layout here needed adjustment.
With years of experience in handling such matters, Wei Bai Nian briefly described the resources and personnel needs, and Wei Dong Ming granted verbal authorization, to be documented later at home. The matter was thus settled.
Wei Dong Ming then mentioned one of his findings during his recent trip, “I now know who the person behind this is: the Seventh Son of the Song Clan, Song Zining.”
Since Wei Po Tian didn’t mention it, Wei Hou wouldn’t directly ask his son’s confidants. No matter the reason, a servant should never have two masters. And the chances of General Xiao Ling Shi from the Expeditionary Army revealing anything were even slimmer.
But nothing can be done without leaving some traces. Just by tracing the major interests linked to Wu Zheng Nan, Wei Hou could discern some clues. Besides, he didn’t need concrete evidence, just a plausible guess.
Wei Bai Nian was initially stunned, as Song Zining wasn’t a name he recognized. Then, recalling some details from Wu Zheng Nan’s death scene, he suddenly understood, “Right, that origin power flame at the scene could be the Song Clan’s battle skill, the Torch of Legacy.” He frowned, “The Song Clan?”
The Far Eastern Wei Family had always maintained neutrality with the Four Great Clans. Wei Po Tian joined White Dragon Armor, part of the White Clan, but this organizational connection didn’t signify allegiance. Yet, choosing to ally with the Seventh Son of the Song Clan for this personal and public affair held a different significance.
Wei Dong Ming added, “Shi Qing told me the Crown Prince token of Qi Yang has been reclaimed and the external authorization revoked.” Both brothers knew that the Crown Prince token Wei Po Tian gave Qian Ye had never been used to access any resources.
Wei Bai Nian was slightly puzzled. He suspected the person behind the scenes might want to influence the Crown Prince through Qian Ye, but this news came as a surprise. If there were ulterior motives, why relinquish such a golden opportunity?
Wei Dong Ming said calmly, “Let’s leave it at that. Since Qi Yang considers this a personal matter, we don’t need to delve deeper. He’s no longer a child and should understand his actions.”
Wei Bai Nian nodded, having no objections to his elder brother’s decision. The Wei Family needed a leader, not a puppet. Even parents couldn’t completely control their children, who must walk their own paths.
Wei Bai Nian, despite his refined appearance, was a ruthless commander. In three days, he inspected the entire defense zone and resolved several conflicts with two neighboring divisions. These so-called conflicts were actually instigated by him, using minor provocations as excuses to dominate and incorporate key military points under his control.
During these days, Qian Ye’s mercenary corps received its first commission from Wei Bai Nian.
The mercenary corps would take over the defense of two small towns on the outskirts of Blackstream City. Each town would pay 300 gold coins per month, barely enough to cover the corps’ daily expenses, but far from sufficient for development. The real path lay in higher defense fees once war began and the bounties for eliminating dark race threats.
That evening, it was Song Hu’s turn to report to Qian Ye.
Song Hu organized the mercenaries into five companies, each with a hundred men. He selected four experienced warriors from the original seeds to lead two of the companies, with Aqi and Ajiu each leading one. The fifth company was under his direct command.
The rest was about repairs and training, and Qian Ye only listened to the gist, paying attention mainly to the funding issues. Resources were the leader’s primary concern, and other trivialities could be managed with the right people.
Song Hu then discussed the assigned defensive sector. Qian Ye had signed an agreement with Wei Bai Nian, but the specific takeover was being handled by Song Hu with the 7th Division. Normally, it would take at least a day or two to develop a plan after receiving the defense map.
As Qian Ye examined the map, he felt a stir of recognition. One of the towns, Lighthouse Town, was where he had stayed for half a year, and the other was just a few dozen kilometers away.
Song Hu’s expression was serious, “Young Master, how are your relations with the Wei Family?”
Qian Ye glanced at him, “Does it matter?”
Song Hu explained the map.
Lighthouse Town, ravaged by the removal of the Zhao Family’s forces by the Expeditionary Army, had not yet recovered, with a population of only a thousand.
Blackmire Town was slightly better off but more exposed to the dark territories, right at the edge of Sanhe County. Beyond it were only a few human settlements. Blackmire Town, on the edge of the mire, housed mostly scavengers and daring herbalists.
“Look here,” Song Hu pointed to a spot in the center of the Blackmire and drew a line to a dark race city 300 kilometers away.
“This is the Spider Nest City, filled with spider demons, werewolves, and possibly a few demon descendants. During large-scale wars, they sometimes cross the mire to attack Blackstream City. The swamp doesn’t hinder the spider demons, and the werewolves can ride their spider servants through.”
Qian Ye looked up at Song Hu, “Have you fought here before?” Given that Song Hu had the map for only a couple of hours, he knew the surroundings remarkably well.
Song Hu replied, “Not exactly, but since you’re setting roots in Blackstream City, I naturally collected information.” This meant Song Hu had been monitoring the area around Blackstream City since he joined Qian Ye.
But Song Hu’s scope extended beyond the 7th Division’s sector. From the two towns to the Spider Nest City, the distance exceeded 300 kilometers, well beyond a division’s range.
Qian Ye remarked, “You could be a good division chief of staff.”
Song Hu said nonchalantly, “Ten years ago, I was a division chief of staff in the Empire’s 10th Legion. After getting injured and demoted, I retired and found work with the Song Clan.”
Qian Ye was impressed; the 10th Legion was a mainstay of the Empire, and its officers were highly valuable. He hadn’t expected Song Zining to send someone of this caliber.
Song Hu concluded, “If it weren’t for a big war, the dark races in Spider Nest City wouldn’t bother crossing the mire, and our task would be easier. But given the impending war, we can almost certainly expect a massive dark race invasion. Young Master, does anyone really believe General Wei assigning us these two towns is just a coincidence?”
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