Chapter 145: Giving You a Chance to Get Beaten Up

In the courtyard, beneath the old locust tree.

Shang Lu felt the changes in his right hand.

Visually, this right hand appeared no different than before.

Yet the moment he exerted strength or circulated his blood Qi, the difference was immediately apparent.

The strength of his right hand, especially its explosive force, had more than doubled compared to before.

The blood Qi released by his right hand was also greater in volume and far more precise in control than previously!

Just after stepping into the initial threshold of Marrow Cleansing, Shang Lu had asked Uncle Huai and Sanniang to accompany him through a few sparring rounds.

In actual combat, Shang Lu discovered that the blood Qi emanating from his right hand could not only form an ethereal shield to neutralize enemy attacks, but it could also adhere to weapons and hidden projectiles, enabling high-difficulty maneuvers previously impossible to achieve.

Shang Lu had attached his blood Qi to flying needles. This not only made the needles faster and more ferocious upon release, but also allowed them to alter their trajectory mid-air, bypass interceptions, and precisely injure enemies!

Even if blocked by an enemy, the needles could be detonated using blood Qi, catching the opponent completely off guard.

The patch of broken branches and shattered leaves on the ground was the battle result of that flying needle explosion.

Poor Uncle Huai, not only was he forced to have several of his tree branches blasted off by the needles, but he also had to sweep away the debris himself.

Living up to the Qilin arm gained through two lifetimes of virginity, it was indeed formidable!

Shang Lu also discovered that although he had only refined the bone marrow of his right hand, the strength and reflexes of his other limbs had also improved to varying degrees.

Though the effect was not as dramatic as the transformation in his right hand.

Even so, Shang Lu was both surprised and satisfied.

Just as Shang Lu was about to call out to Sanniang and Uncle Huai to continue the second round of practical combat drills, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

At the same time, Du Feng’s loud voice shouted from outside, "My lord, this is bad! Those two hundred-man squads transferred from the border troops are raising a ruckus in the parade grounds outside the city!"

It was no wonder Du Feng was anxious; military insubordination was a grave matter. If not handled properly, it could easily spark a mutiny, and the common people of Luoshui County would suffer the consequences.

"Raising a ruckus? They’ve picked quite a time."

Shang Lu raised an eyebrow, signaling Uncle Huai to open the door.

The courtyard gate immediately swung open, and Du Feng, caught off guard while still pounding on the door, nearly stumbled inside.

Shang Lu bypassed the screen wall and came to the entrance. Liu Zhi and Du Feng hurried to salute him upon seeing him.

Shang Mingqiu and Wu Guizhi, whose courtyard was nearby, heard Du Feng’s booming voice and pushed their doors open, wanting to inquire about the situation.

Seeing this, Shang Lu spoke up first, "Father, Mother, it’s just a small matter. Don't you worry, I'll go handle it right away."

Hearing him say this, Shang Mingqiu and Wu Guizhi could not press further and could only nod, instructing him to be careful.

Shang Lu then crossed the courtyard gate, taking Liu Zhi and Du Feng out of the alley toward the outskirts of the city.

Along the way, Du Feng complained, "My lord, those border soldiers are truly ungrateful. Over the past few days, you've had them well-fed and rested, and not only do they show no appreciation, but they actually have the nerve to cause a ruckus! We've been worked to the bone and haven't uttered a single grievance."

"Aren't you grieving to me right now?"

Shang Lu glanced at him and said with mild annoyance, "Next time you come to the house for something, remember to keep your voice down. Don't shout right outside the door where the whole alley can hear."

"My lord, there aren't many households in your alley anyway..."

Du Feng muttered under his breath.

Catching Shang Lu’s glare, he hurriedly changed his tune, patted his chest, and promised to correct his ways.

Shang Lu gave a cold hum and continued, "If they don't want to rest, all the better. It shows they want to earn merit, not just loaf around like hardened, lazy veterans."

Liu Zhi, taking a broader view, lowered his voice, "My lord, this uproar by these men is likely intended to exert pressure on you. If it isn't handled well and they aren't suppressed, I fear they will stir up other troubles in the future."

Shang Lu nodded. He knew that the men transferred from the border troops harbored doubts about his strength and refused to submit to him.

Yet during these past few days, he had been busy breaking through his bottlenecks, leaving the border troops stranded in the parade grounds.

This course of action undoubtedly led the border troops to assume either that Shang Lu was cowardly and afraid to face them, or that he was deliberately trying to wear down their sharpness with such tactics.

However, it mattered not. If the border troops had fire and insubordination in them, he would simply extinguish that fire and thoroughly beat them into submission!

Unaware of Shang Lu’s thoughts or that his cultivation had broken through, Du Feng grew somewhat worried and hastily advised,

"My lord, I've seen these men drill; none of them are ordinary. They are likely elites among the border forces. Those two hundred-man commanders are at least at the Great Accomplishment of Pulse Connection, and consummation of Pulse Connection is quite possible. Even the squad leaders under them are at the initial threshold of Pulse Connection at the very least... Should I make a trip to Yunhua Mountain and invite a wizard official to preside over this?"

"If even such matters require a wizard official to step in, wouldn't it make us look utterly useless? Besides, even if we invited a wizard official, it would only make these border soldiers submit in fear rather than in heart, and they'd only cause trouble later. Rest assured, if I could take down the Blood-Age God, can't I handle a bunch of unruly soldiers?"

Seeing Shang Lu's absolute confidence, Du Feng stopped trying to persuade him otherwise.

Though he was unclear about Shang Lu's specific strength, he knew Shang Lu's character well enough to know he was never blindly arrogant.

Precisely because of this, he became intensely curious, "My lord, has your cultivation improved again? Which stage have you reached? Great Accomplishment of Pulse Connection?"

"Higher than that."

"Have you reached Consummation of Pulse Connection?" Du Feng exclaimed.

"A little higher than that."

"Could it be... have you entered the threshold of Marrow Cleansing?"

Du Feng stared with wide eyes, absolute disbelief written all over his face.

Not only him, but Liu Zhi standing beside him also wore an expression of ghost-seeing shock.

Seeing Shang Lu nod in confirmation, Du Feng murmured, "How long has it been, and you've already entered the threshold of Marrow Cleansing? It seems Wizard Feng was right; your fortuitous encounters run deep indeed!"

Following that, he grew extremely excited.

With Shang Lu’s strength at the threshold of Marrow Cleansing, putting this bunch of unruly border soldiers in their place would be an absolute breeze.

He could already eagerly anticipate the soldiers' shocked reactions and deflated expressions.

The three of them quickly left the city, heading straight for the parade grounds outside.

The militia commander had brought a group of men to surround the outside of the parade grounds, but dared not take any further action.

They didn't even dare to carry weapons for fear of angering the border troops inside.

Among those border soldiers, even a mere squad leader possessed a higher cultivation level than him. As for the militia under his command, whether in combat spirit, experience, or drill proficiency, they fell far short of the border troops.

Even in sheer numbers, they were at a disadvantage. They could only pray that the border troops would confine their noise to the inside and not charge out of the parade grounds.

Seeing Shang Lu arrive, the militia commander let out a long breath of relief and hurried forward to report the situation.

As Shang Lu listened to his report, he observed the situation inside the parade grounds, noting that while the border troops were making a ruckus, they had not stepped out of the grounds or committed any other extreme offenses.

It seemed they had rich experience in causing disturbances, knowing how to keep the situation within certain limits so that even if superiors sought accountability, the punishment would not be overly severe.

At the same time, the border soldiers inside the parade grounds spotted Shang Lu.

Though they did not recognize Shang Lu personally, they recognized the green robe he wore and began whispering among themselves.

Those outside the parade grounds, due to the distance, could not hear what was being said.

Only Shang Lu, relying on his exceptional hearing, caught every word.

"This county lieutenant had us transferred from the border, yet he ignores us completely and leaves us cooped up in these grounds with nowhere to go. What on earth is he playing at?"

"Can't you tell what he's playing at? He wants to use this tactic to give us a lower-than-expected welcome and break our spirit! If you ask me, he's just cowardly. If he had real guts, he'd cut off our food and pay—that would be a real display of power!"

"Does he dare? Isn't he afraid we'll actually cause a scene and cost him his official post? I heard this county lieutenant was just a petty constable not long ago. Who knows if he has any genuine skills or if he just climbed up by clinging to some powerful patron!"

"I haven't seen any skill, but his airs are certainly grand!"

"Do you think he's too scared of us to even step foot into the parade grounds? Hahaha..."

Amidst the skepticism and taunts, Shang Lu strode into the parade grounds. Glancing coldly at the lazy crowd, he scoffed, "Are these the so-called elite border troops? Is this the attitude they display when their superior arrives? It seems the border elites aren't much to look at after all!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the border soldiers shifted instantly.

The two hundred-man commanders darkened their faces and barked orders to form ranks.

Regardless of their resentment or dissatisfaction toward Shang Lu, they could not afford to let Shang Lu find fault with them on this front.

The border soldiers quickly fell into formation, glaring at Shang Lu with eyes wide like enraged vajras.

Unfortunately, it failed to frighten Shang Lu in the slightest.

He swept his gaze over the crowd and said coldly,

"I know you harbor grievances in your hearts, feeling that being transferred from the border forces to county garrison troops is a humiliation.

To make matters worse, you are being commanded by a superior who was nothing more than a petty constable not long ago, making it all the more galling.

I've heard that in the military, strength is paramount. I can give you a chance, following standard military rules.

As long as any of you can defeat me, I will request the wizard official to have you transferred back.

However, if you cannot defeat me, from now on you will obediently follow my commands! Otherwise, do not blame my military law for being merciless!"

As these words fell, an uproar instantly erupted across the parade grounds.