Chapter 35: The Territory's Number One General

Xiao Hu's combat attributes were much higher than Lin Mu's. While Lin Mu gained 4 points of base attributes per level, Xiao Hu gained 8—a full twofold difference!

Lin Mu could do nothing about it. He envied Xiao Hu; his own potential as a Lord was simply too low!

However, he thought that perhaps after he activated his talent and collected some heavenly treasures to change his aptitude, the situation might improve and the gap could be closed.

Lin Mu was considered to have the lowest aptitude among the village soldiers. Other soldiers possessed Tier 6 aptitude, and for now, only Xiao Hu had Tier 8. Not to mention Feng Zhong, whose aptitude was sealed—it was truly a tragic situation!

For now, he could only be a Tier 4 soldier, a complete anomaly in the village army!

...

After spending nearly half a day clearing the outskirts of the rebel camp without venturing deep inside, night began to fall. Lin Mu led his men back to the village to rest.

Aside from his management level, Lin Mu's biggest gain today was a blueprint for a Junior Private School building. This was entirely within his expectations; in the early stages, monster drop rates were extremely, extremely low.

He wondered how things were going with Feng Zhong.

Lin Mu had brought 100 soldiers to the east, while Feng Zhong was responsible for the other monster camps in the northwest and southwest. To Lin Mu's surprise, three of the high-level camps in his territory were rebel camps rather than beast camps, meaning he would have a future source of population.

East: 5 Junior camps, 3 Intermediate camps, 2 High-level camps (Rebel camps).

Southwest: 5 Junior camps, 2 Intermediate camps, 2 High-level camps (Rebel camps).

Northwest: 1 King-level camp (Howling Moon Wolf camp), 1 High-level camp (Rebel camp).

As darkness descended, Lin Mu and Xiao Hu returned to the barracks.

Feng Zhong had already returned. With a God-tier general like him, clearing those junior, intermediate, and high-level camps was effortless.

Seeing Feng Zhong, Lin Mu asked proactively, "Fengjin, any gains today?"

"Haha, My Lord! Today I led the soldiers to slay the leaders of two high-level camps. They dropped four white cloth bags, which I brought back specifically for you to open!" Feng Zhong said happily.

Previously, because the territory lacked sufficient soldiers, Feng Zhong had not gone to kill the high-level camp leaders. Today was the first time they had done so as part of the initial clearing, so the drops should be quite good!

In *Mythical Three Kingdoms*, when monsters or humans are killed, any dropped items appear as cloth bags. The contents are not unique; the color of the bag determines the quality of the items!

Gray, White, Cyan, Blue, Purple...

Four white cloth bags meant four relatively rare drops.

Taking the bags from Feng Zhong, Lin Mu impatiently began to open them. This was the first time in his previous life that he had opened these cloth bags—items that people both loved and hated like currency.

*Ding!*

"—System Prompt: Player Lin Mu has opened a white cloth bag and obtained the Basic Cultivation Method [Great Strength Bull Demon Art]."

"—System Prompt: Player Lin Mu has opened a white cloth bag and obtained a Yellow-tier weapon [Refined Steel Broadsword]."

"—System Prompt: Player Lin Mu has opened a white cloth bag and obtained the crafting manual for the Yellow-tier weapon [Red Sandalwood Bow]."

"—System Prompt: Player Lin Mu has opened a white cloth bag and obtained a Black-tier weapon [Clear Astral Spear]."

Lin Mu immediately checked their attributes

Name: [Great Strength Bull Demon Art] Rank: Basic Trait: Cultivation Method Attributes: 3 layers total. Each layer studied increases base attributes by 10 points and allows the user to master Bull Demon Internal Strength. Description: A basic cultivation method within the general military techniques of the Han army. The [Great Strength Bull Demon Art], [Great Strength Tiger Demon Art], and [Great Strength Dragon Demon Art] constitute the complete military cultivation system for ordinary Han soldiers.

Name: [Refined Steel Broadsword] Rank: Yellow Trait: Weapon Attributes: Combat Power +300, Sharpness +15, Durability 100/100 Description: Heavy and sharp, meticulously crafted from refined steel. Ancient and keen, it is a lethal tool for killing.

Name: [Red Sandalwood Bow] Crafting Manual Rank: Yellow Trait: Manual Attributes: Allows carpenters of Intermediate rank or higher to learn how to craft the Yellow-tier weapon, the Red Sandalwood Bow. Description: A bow and arrow set made from Grade 2 Red Sandalwood. Durable and resilient with a long range, it is an indispensable tool among archery weapons!

Name: [Clear Astral Spear] Rank: Black Trait: Weapon Attributes: Combat Power +1500, Sharpness +20, Durability 1000/1000 Description: Forged by a master, worthy of trust! Forged from a hundred layers of Clear Astral Copper, it is extremely sharp—a lethal weapon and a symbol of high status.

A grand opening! After opening the four white bags, all the items turned out to be quite good.

Lin Mu was familiar with the [Great Strength Bull Demon Art]; it was a common cultivation method used by army soldiers. In his previous life, the soldiers in his territory also studied this. It was part of a system alongside the Yellow-tier [Great Strength Tiger Demon Art] and the Black-tier [Great Strength Dragon Demon Art], where the latter two were advanced versions of the former. These were universal methods that could be purchased from government offices.

As for the [Refined Steel Broadsword] and the [Clear Astral Spear], their attributes were excellent. Lin Mu equipped the [Clear Astral Spear] himself and gave the broadsword to Xiao Hu.

To his surprise, the [Red Sandalwood Bow] manual was another manual that allowed his territory to learn how to craft bows and arrows. With this, he wouldn't have to worry about a shortage of archery equipment.

Lin Mu carefully read the manual's description. It could be used to make both bows and arrows, but it required Grade 2 Red Sandalwood. Lin Mu remembered there being a source of such wood in the Qilian Mountains, but his woodcutters hadn't occupied that area yet. It seemed he would need to assign some manpower to go there for logging.

"Congratulations, My Lord! To actually obtain an archery crafting manual! Our soldiers' equipment can now advance to the next stage! They can also train in archery to increase our ranged combat capabilities!" Seeing the items Lin Mu opened, Feng Zhong was also very happy.

"Hehe, today's harvest is all thanks to you, Fengjin! I shall record this as a great achievement for you," Lin Mu said happily.

"Haha, everyone worked hard today. My Lord must reward them well!" Feng Zhong suggested.

"Fine, have the men arrange it. Today, everyone eats until their bellies burst—meat and rice are unlimited!"

"Thank you, My Lord!" the soldiers cheered.

...

While the soldiers were overjoyed, Lin Mu pondered on the side. The fact that white cloth bags could contain Black-tier weapons and crafting manuals was highly irregular. Could it be the influence of his "Two Dragons Fortune"?

Lin Mu checked on the soldiers; no one had died, and there were only about ten with minor superficial injuries.

While Feng Zhong arranged dinner, Lin Mu led Xiao Hu toward the barracks. Lin Mu intended to promote Xiao Hu to a General.

Level, cultivation method, and slots—all requirements were now met. He could finally promote the territory's first General, and Lin Mu felt a sense of anticipation.

The barracks were empty, as the soldiers had all gone to eat.

Lin Mu walked up to the stone tablet in the barracks hall and summoned the Barracks Panel. There were several options, one of which was [General Promotion] Junior General Promotion Requirements: A cultivation method of Yellow-tier or above, level exceeding 10, and consumes 1 promotion slot. A soldier meeting these conditions can be promoted to a Junior General for 1,000 copper coins.

A Junior Barracks has 1 promotion slot, an Intermediate has 10, a High-level has 50, and the highest, the Training Grounds, has 100.

Currently, the territory had 6 Junior Barracks and 1 Intermediate Barracks, with a total of 530 soldiers. There were plenty of promotion slots, but very few soldiers met the requirements.

Lin Mu gave the [Great Strength Bull Demon Art] to Xiao Hu to learn. Xiao Hu excitedly activated the method; the cultivation technique turned into a dazzling white light and entered his head. Xiao Hu closed his eyes in enjoyment, absorbing the information.

A moment later, Xiao Hu opened his eyes, his expression joyful. "My Lord, I have learned the cultivation method! I can become a general who gallops across the battlefield! Hehe..." Influenced by Lin Mu, Xiao Hu had heard many stories of heroes and legends; he longed to become a valiant and glorious general.

Now, he was finally becoming a general, and he would be the first promoted general in Lin Mu's territory (Feng Zhong did not count).

"—System Prompt: Lord Lin Mu, do you wish to spend 1,000 copper coins to promote Zhang Xiaohu to a Junior General?"

"Yes!" Lin Mu replied.

*Ding!*

"—System Prompt: Detected that Zhang Xiaohu meets the promotion requirements. Junior General promotion successful!"

"—System Prompt: Lord Lin Mu, because your territory has produced its first promoted General, completing the world's first achievement of 'First Citizen Promoted to General,' the system grants a special reward: Zhang Xiaohu is promoted to a Senior General, the [Great Strength Bull Demon Art] advances to the second layer, and he gains 20 points of base attributes."

*Holy crap!* There was actually such a benefit! In his previous life, Lin Mu had no idea such a reward existed. In his old territory, he didn't know how many millions of people had been promoted before him. Now, being able to claim the honor of the very first promotion, the system was indeed generous, rewarding him with a promotion to Senior General!

Haha, while a Mid-tier General might not be able to face ten Junior Generals, they could certainly handle three or four. But a Senior General could deal with dozens of Junior Generals with ease. Moreover, with Xiao Hu's high aptitude, his strength would be even greater than an ordinary Senior General.

With Xiao Hu as a Senior General, Lin Mu could now lead his soldiers to push through the High-level camps.

Lin Mu was extremely happy with Xiao Hu's increase in strength. Finally, his territory had its second general (the first being the system-rewarded Feng Zhong).

Another top-tier combatant had been added to his ranks!

Unfortunately, since there was currently only one cultivation method, Lin Mu lacked the conditions to promote more generals for now. Otherwise, he would have swept up all the rewards for the second and third promotions as well.

"Xiao Hu, you must be thrilled!" Lin Mu laughed.

"Yes, yes! Thank you for your cultivation, My Lord! I will definitely train harder and hunt more monsters to protect the territory and protect you!" Xiao Hu said, a determined look appearing on his youthful face.

"Hehe..." Lin Mu smiled, patting Xiao Hu's head.

Having gained so much, Xiao Hu kept smiling foolishly. Lin Mu didn't disturb him and led him toward the dining area. Lin Mu planned to eat with Feng Zhong and the others to build rapport and show care for his soldiers.

Arriving at a barracks camp, they saw many circles of people already seated. The soldiers were chatting happily, their spirits high as they discussed their respective gains. Some shared their experiences, while others spoke with faces full of relief about their narrow escapes...

"The Lord is here! The Lord is here!" A sharp-eyed soldier spotted the approaching Lin Mu and cheered loudly.

"My Lord, come and eat!"

"Alright, alright! Don't wait for me, everyone start eating! Eat heartily, eat plenty of meat! Don't be polite!" Lin Mu called out loudly.

"Yes!"

"Let's eat! The meat the chef made today is excellent! It's so fragrant and tender, it really works up an appetite!"

"Mmm... yes... today's food... is... very good!" a soldier replied, swallowing a mouthful of food and meat.

Lin Mu and Xiao Hu sat beside Feng Zhong and began to eat.

"It's a pity there is no wine. The brewery in the territory hasn't started working yet, and we don't even have brewing apprentices! Otherwise, everyone's enthusiasm would be even higher!" Lin Mu said regretfully.

In his previous life, his favorite scene was celebrating a victory by drinking large bowls of wine and eating large chunks of meat with his subordinates.

"Yeah, I want to drink too! I've never had any before," Xiao Hu added with an expectant look.

"Hehe, Xiao Hu will be a drunkard in the future too!" Feng Zhong joked.

"Hehe," Xiao Hu laughed along.

The night passed quickly.

(End of Chapter)